In Geelong, about 800 workers will be out of a job by the end of the year.

It is another blow to the region.

Last year Ford announced it will stop making cars in Australia in 2016, resulting in the loss of 600 jobs.

Shell has been looking for a buyer for its oil refinery on Corio Bay since April 2013, leaving at least 450 staff with an uncertain future.

Another 300 jobs will go when Qantas closes its maintenance facility at nearby Avalon Airport this year.

Today this mayor is a broken man, but at the end of the day this mayor is resilient and the people of Geelong are resilient.

Darryn Lyons, Geelong Mayor

Boral Cement shed about 100 jobs last year and Target cut 260 staff from its Geelong headquarters.

Mr Lyons says he did not expect the job losses in the region to be "this fierce and this sharp."

"This tsunami that's hit the city, my thoughts at the moment are getting the best deals for the families and the workers here," he said.

"This is a supply chain situation as well, it's not only the 600 or 700 jobs that are going to be going here at the end of the year, there's a lot of supply chain families that are going to be effected by this as well."

But he says he wants to focus on the positives and the future.

"Today this mayor is a broken man but at the end of the day this mayor is resilient and the people of Geelong are resilient."

Geelong can recover, say politicians

Federal Labor Leader Bill Shorten says the Abbott Government needs to have a plan for manufacturing in Australia.

"We recognise that all the people here, take them out of the economy, take all the small businesses out of the economy, that's a $3 million king hit in Geelong."

"This is an industrial asteroid which has hit Geelong.

"Geelong can recover but it'll only recover if governments - state and federal - get behind Geelong and the workforce."

He says the Alcoa workers in particular, must be looked after.

"Now is the time for the Abbott Government to repay the loyalty of all the taxes that the men and women of Alcoa have paid, now's the time when the people need to the Government, for the Government to stand by the people," he said.

When will the Premier finally admit that Victoria is in the midst of a jobs crisis?

Daniel Andrews, Victorian Opposition Leader

His state counterpart, Daniel Andrews, agrees and he wants assurances from the Napthine Government.

"The people of Geelong are tough and I've no doubt that they'll get through this," said Mr Andrews.

"But what the people of Geelong need and are entitled to expect are a (State) Government that won't stand by and watch as industries evaporate, but a government that will stand with the workers of this proud community and provide the training the skills the support and the action that is needed."

"When will the Premier finally admit that Victoria is in the midst of a jobs crisis?" he said.

Premier Denis Napthine says Geelong is a community in transition.

"Geelong is a strong economy, it's a diverse economy and Geelong will work through this," he said.

"We'll work with the workers, we'll work with the families to create new job opportunities for those people.

"It's important to recognise that Geelong, Victoria and Barwon South West are strong and resilient economies and the recent job figures in Victoria show that in January this year there were 7,300 new jobs, additional jobs, created in Victoria."

The Government plans to ask for federal help for a financial package to help create employment in the Geelong region.

Geelong is a strong economy, it's a diverse economy and Geelong will work through this.

Denis Napthine, Victoria Premier

Workers fear for their future

Garry Holmyard has worked at the plant for two decades but fears for his future.

"There's 800 people looking for jobs, they're not going to get them. You'd be lucky if 100 people get a job," he said.

"That's a lot of people and families that have got kids.

"I don't want to leave, but if it happens it happens, you've got to sell up and shift, that's the way it is."

Mill worker Kel Brewer says she was shocked by Alcoa's news.

"It's another nail in the coffin for Geelong I think," she said.

She has worked at the mill for 33 years.

"A lot of people my age in their 50s are probably going to struggle a bit more because people want to employ young people," she said.